Financial Statements (Unaudited) 2017-2018

Statement of Management Responsibility Including Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Responsibility for the integrity and objectivity of the accompanying financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2018 and all information contained in these statements rests with the management of the Parole Board of Canada (PBC). These financial statements have been prepared by management using the Government’s accounting policies, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards.

Management is responsible for the integrity and objectivity of the information in these financial statements. Some of the information in the financial statements is based on management’s best estimates and judgment, and gives due consideration to materiality. To fulfill its accounting and reporting responsibilities, management maintains a set of accounts that provides a centralized record of the PBC’s financial transactions. Financial information submitted in the preparation of the Public Accounts of Canada, and included in the PBC’s Departmental Results Report, is consistent with these financial statements.

Management is also responsible for maintaining an effective system of internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) designed to provide reasonable assurance that financial information is reliable, that assets are safeguarded and that transactions are properly authorized and recorded in accordance with the Financial Administration Act and other applicable legislation, regulations, authorities and policies.

Management seeks to ensure the objectivity and integrity of data in its financial statements through careful selection, training and development of qualified staff; through organizational arrangements that provide appropriate divisions of responsibility; through communication programs aimed at ensuring that regulations, policies, standards and managerial authorities are understood throughout the PBC and through conducting an annual risk-based assessment of the effectiveness of the system of ICFR.

The system of ICFR is designed to mitigate risks to a reasonable level based on an on-going process to identify key risks, to assess effectiveness of associated key controls, and to make any necessary adjustments.

The PBC is subject to periodic Core Control Audits performed by the Office of the Comptroller General and uses the results of such audits to comply with the Treasury Board Policy on Financial Management.

A Core Control Audit was performed in 2011-2012 by the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada (OCG). The Audit Report and related Management Action Plan are posted on the PBC website. 

The financial statements of the PBC have not been audited.

Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited) as at March 31^st

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position (Unaudited)
For the Year Ended March 31^st

Segmented information (note 9)

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt (Unaudited) for the Year Ended March 31^st

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flow (Unaudited) for the Year Ended March 31^st

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Notes to the Financial Statements (Unaudited) for the Year Ended March 31^st

1. Authority and Objectives

The Parole Board of Canada (PBC) is an independent administrative tribunal that has exclusive jurisdiction and absolute discretion under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) to grant, cancel, terminate or revoke day parole, full parole, and authorize or approve temporary absences. The Board can also, on referral, order the detention of an offender beyond their statutory release date, or terminate or revoke statutory release. The CCRA also authorizes the PBC to modify or remove driving prohibition orders and to investigate Royal Prerogative of Mercy requests. Under the Criminal Records Act (CRA), the PBC has exclusive jurisdiction and absolute discretion to order, refuse to order or revoke a record suspension. The PBC also provides recommendations on clemency to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

The PBC’s core responsibilities are:

• Conditional release decisions: Through this core responsibility, PBC staff provides timely, accurate information for Board member decision-making, and develops training and policies that are essential tools for risk assessment and decision-making;
• Conditional release openness and accountability: This core responsibility works with victims of crime and the general public by providing information, including access to the PBC's registry of decisions, as well as providing assistance for observers at hearings;
• Record suspension decisions and clemency recommendations: Through this core responsibility the PBC screens applications for completeness and the eligibility of each applicant, collects information for decision-making and develops policy to guide decision processes; and
• Internal services: Supports the work of all other programs and provides key corporate services. 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

These financial statements have been prepared using the Government’s accounting policies stated below, which are based on Canadian Public Sector accounting standards. The presentation and results using the stated accounting policies do not result in any significant differences from Canadian public sector accounting standards.

Significant accounting policies are as follows:

1. Parliamentary authorities

   The PBC is financed by the Government of Canada through parliamentary authorities. Financial reporting of authorities provided to the PBC do not parallel financial reporting according to generally accepted accounting principles since authorities are primarily based on cash flow requirements. Consequently, items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and the Statement of Financial Position are not necessarily the same as those provided through authorities from Parliament. Note 3 provides a reconciliation between the bases of reporting. The planned results amounts in the "Expenses" and "Revenues" sections of the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position are the amounts reported in the Future-oriented Statement of Operations included in the 2017-2018 Departmental Plan. Planned results are not presented in the "Government funding and transfers" section of the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt because these amounts were not included in the 2017-2018 Departmental Plan.

2. Net Cash Provided by Government

   The PBC operates within the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is administered by the Receiver General for Canada. All cash received by the PBC is deposited to the CRF and all cash disbursements made by the PBC are paid from the CRF. The net cash provided by Government is the difference between all cash receipts and all cash disbursements including transactions between departments of the Government.

3. Amounts due from or to the CRF

   Amounts due from or to the CRF are the result of timing differences at year-end between when a transaction affects authorities and when it is processed through the CRF. Amounts due from the CRF represent the net amount of cash that the PBC is entitled to draw from the CRF without further authorities to discharge its liabilities.

4. Revenues

   Revenues from regulatory fees are recognized in the accounts based on the services provided in the year. Other revenues are recognized in the period the event giving rise to the revenues occurred. Revenues that are non-respendable are not available to discharge the department’s liabilities. While the Chairperson is expected to maintain accounting control, she has no authority regarding the disposition of non-respendable revenues. As a result, non-respendable revenues are considered to be earned on behalf of the Government of Canada and are therefore presented in reduction of the entity’s gross revenues.

5. Expenses

   Vacation pay and compensatory leave are accrued as the benefits are earned by employees under their respective terms of employment.

   Services provided without charge by other government departments for accommodation, information technology services, employer contributions to the health and dental insurance plans, legal services and workers’ compensation are recorded as operating expenses at their carrying value.

6. Employee future benefits

   1. Pension benefits - Eligible employees participate in the Public Service Superannuation Plan, a multiemployer pension plan administered by the Government. The PBC’s contributions to the Plan are charged to expenses in the year incurred and represent the total departmental obligation to the Plan. The PBC’s responsibility with regard to the Plan is limited to its contributions. Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the financial statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan’s sponsor.

   2. Severance benefits - The accumulation of severance benefits for voluntary departures ceased for applicable employee groups. The remaining obligation for employees who did not withdraw benefits is calculated using information derived from the results of the actuarially determined liability for employee severance benefits for the Government as a whole.

7. Accounts receivable are stated at the lower of cost and net recoverable value. A valuation allowance is recorded for accounts receivable where recovery is considered uncertain.

8. Contingent liabilities – Contingent liabilities are potential liabilities that may become actual liabilities when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. To the extent that the future event is likely to occur or fail to occur, and a reasonable estimate of the loss can be made, an estimated liability is accrued and an expense recorded. If the likelihood is not determinable or if an amount cannot be reasonably estimated, the contingency is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.

9. Tangible capital assets – All tangible capital assets and leasehold improvements having an initial cost of $5,000 or more are recorded at their acquisition cost. The PBC does not capitalize intangibles, works of art and historical treasures that have cultural, aesthetic or historical value, assets located on reserves and museum collections. Amortization of tangible capital assets is done on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset, as described in Note 7.

10. Measurement uncertainty
    The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses reported in the financial statements. At the time of preparation of these statements, management believes the estimates and assumptions to be reasonable. The most significant items where estimates are used are the liability for employee future benefits and the useful life of tangible capital assets. Actual results could significantly differ from those estimated. Management’s estimates are reviewed periodically and, as adjustments become necessary, they are recorded in the financial statements in the year they become known.

3. Parliamentary authorities

The PBC receives most of its funding through annual parliamentary authorities. Items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position, and the Statement of Financial Position in one year may be funded through parliamentary authorities in prior, current or future years. Accordingly, the PBC has different net results of operations for the year on a government funding basis than on an accrual accounting basis. The differences are reconciled in the following tables:

a) Reconciliation of net cost of operations to current year

 Authorities used

b) Authorities provided and used

4. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

The following table presents details of the PBC’s accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

5. Employee future benefits

(a) Pension benefits

The PBC’s employees participate in the public service pension plan (the “Plan”), which is sponsored and administered by the Government of Canada. Pension benefits accrue up to a maximum period of 35 years at a rate of 2 percent per year of pensionable service, times the average of the best five consecutive years of earnings. The benefits are integrated with Canada/Quebec Pension Plans benefits and they are indexed to inflation.

Both the employees and the PBC contribute to the cost of the Plan. Due to the amendment of the Public Service Superannuation Act following the implementation of provisions related to Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012, employee contributors have been divided into two groups – Group 1 relates to existing plan members as of December 31, 2012 and Group 2 relates to members joining the plan as of January 1, 2013. Each group has a distinct contribution rate.

The 2017-18 expense amounts to $3,867,540 ($4,009,234 in 2016-17). For Group 1 members, the expense represents approximately 1.01 times (1.12 times in 2016-17) the employee contributions and, for Group 2 members, approximately 1.00 times (1.08 times in 2016-17) the employee contributions.

The PBC’s responsibility with regard to the Plan is limited to its contributions. Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the financial statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan’s sponsor.

(b) Severance benefits

Severance benefits provided to the PBC’s employees were previously based on an employee’s eligibility, years of service and salary at termination of employment. However, since 2011 the accumulation of severance benefits for voluntary departures progressively ceased for substantially all employees. Employees subject to these changes were given the option to be paid the full or partial value of benefits earned to date or collect the full or remaining value of benefits upon departure from the public service. By March 31, 2018, all settlements for immediate cash out were completed. Severance benefits are unfunded and, consequently, the outstanding obligation will be paid from future authorities. 

The changes in the obligations during the year were as follows:

6. Accounts receivable and advances

The following table presents details of the PBC’s accounts receivable and advances balances:

7. Tangible Capital Assets

Amortization of tangible capital assets is done on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset as follows:

Assets under construction are recorded in the applicable capital asset class in the year that they become available for use and are not amortized until they become available for use.

 8. Related party transactions

The PBC is related as a result of common ownership to all Government departments, agencies and Crown Corporations. The PBC enters into transactions with these entities in the normal course of business and on normal trade terms. During the year, the PBC received common services which were obtained without charge from other government departments as disclosed below.

Common services provided without charge by other government departments

During the year, the PBC received services without charge from certain common service organizations related to accommodation, legal services, the employer’s contribution to the health and dental insurance plans and workers' compensation coverage. Additionally, Correctional Services Canada provides information technology services to PBC since 2008, when the function and funding were transferred to the department. These services provided without charge have been recorded in the PBC’s Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position as follows:

The Government has centralized some of its administrative activities for efficiency, cost-effectiveness purposes and economic delivery of programs to the public. As a result, the Government uses central agencies and common service organizations so that one department performs services for all other departments and agencies without charge. The costs of these services, such as payroll and cheque issuance services provided by Public Services and Procurement Canada and audit services provided by the Office of the Auditor General, are not included in the PBC's Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position.

9. Segmented information

Presentation by segment is based on the PBC’s core responsibilities. The presentation by segment is based on the same accounting policies as described in the Summary of significant accounting policies in note 2. The following table presents the expenses incurred and revenues generated by the core responsibilities, by major object of expense and by major type of revenue. The segment results for the period are as follows:

 10. Comparative information

Certain comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.